Improvement in automatic gates



R. S. RINKER.

AUTOMATIC GATES.

$1 ,170,899, Ptented Dec. 7,1875.

WITNESSES INVENTUB ATTDBNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

ROBERT SAMUEL RINKER, OFMOUNT JACKSON, VIRGINIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN AUTOMATIC GATES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 170.899, dated December 7, 1875; application filed September 17, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT SAMUEL RINK- ER, of Mount Jackson, in the county of Shenandoah and State of Virginia, have invented a new and Improved Gate; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in Which- Figure 1 is a front elevation; Fig. 2, an end elevation.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved automatic or self-opening gate; and it consists in an arrangement of elbow-levers and catch-hook, controlled by a cord or wire, witlra weighted lever, upon one end of which lever the wheels of the vehicle pass to raise the weight and set the gate, so that it can be readily opened from either side by the person in the vehicle by pulling a trippingcord arranged upon both sides of the gate, Within convenient reach, upon a post, each vehicle serving to raise the weight and set the gate for the next succeeding one. y

In the drawing, A represents a gate of the ordinary construction, provided with an ordinary form of spring-latch, B. O is the gatepost, to which the gate is hung upon hinges, so that when it is free to move it will close itself. D is a lever, pivoted in bearings upon a level with the bed of the gate, and provided with a weight, E, or a spring, heavy enough to operate the gate. The other end of the said lever extends across the roadway, so as to receive the weight of either one or both sets of wheels of the vehicle. To the wei ghted end of the lever is attached one end of a vertical rod, F, which is fastened at the top to one arm of an elbowiever, G, pivoted to the gate-post, so as to rock in a vertical plane. H is a second elbow-lever, pivoted to the gatepost so as to move in a horizontal plane, and connected, by a rod, I, with one of the arms of the elbow-lever G. The elbow-lever His provided with the .three arms a b c, of which a is provided with adjusting-holes to receive the rod I, so as to adapt the weight to the gate, and b is extended and connected, by a cord, d, with the rear end of the spring-latch B,which fastens the gate. The arm 0 engages with a catch-hook, J, which is connected,

through a cord or wire, with a hook, K, which latter serves to hold back the gate, and is fastened to the tripping-cords j, which are attached to posts L upon each side of the gate.

The gate being closed, and the devices setthat is to say, the weight elevated, and the arm 0 caught and held by the catch-hookthe following is the operation of the gate: When a vehicle approaches the driver reaches the tripping-cord from one of the posts L, and with a jerk lifts the hooks J K. The weight of the lever now, in gra\-'itating, moves the elbow -levers, and through cord d withdraws the latch B and opens the gate, the latter being caught by the hook K until the vehicle passes through. As the vehicle passes through the wheels pass upon the end of the weighted lever, and the Weight is again elevated, and the arm 0 of the horizontally-mow ing elbow-lever moves behind the catch hook J, and is held thereby. The driver then, with a slight jerk upon the other tripping-cord, lifts the hook K from the gate, and the latter closes of its own weight.

In tripping the gate-hook, its motion must be limited to prevent raising also the catchhook, and for this purpose a guard is fastened to the gate, which passes over the catch-hook whenever the said gate is open.

Thus it will be seen that the gate is made automatic, or nearly so, and much time and trouble saved.

The devices may be adapted to any ordinary form of gate without alteration or injury, and are of such a character that pedestrians or persons on horseback can pass through without affecting the operative condition of the gate for the next vehicle.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is- 1. The combination, with the gate and suitable intervening mechanism, of a lever arranged transversely to the roadway, and pivoted, so that a vehicle passing upon the same raises a weight or bends a spring at the other end, to keep in store an available power for opening the gate for the next succeeding vehicle, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the weighted lever D, the elbow-levers G H, with connecting-rods,

and the cord d, attached to the latch of the gate, as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination, with the arm 0 of the elbow-lever H, of the hooks J K, connected by a, wire or cord, and operated by trippingcords attached to posts on both sides the gate, substantially as described. J"

4. The combination of the weighted lever D, the elbow-levers G H, with connecting-rods, the hooks J K, with their tripping-cords, and the cord (1, attached'to the latch of the gate, substantially as described.

ROBERT SAMUEL RINKER. Witnesses:

S. FUNKHoUsEB, PETER WHIDLE. 

